I Hear Wedding Bells: Two As One
by freeze1
Summary: Sequel to I Hear Wedding Bells. Ryoga becomes the next target of the Mikonsha, and is forced to propose and be accpeted within a week. He and Ukyo journey to find Akari, who seems to be Ryoga's only hope...when something between them changes. [RyogaUkyo]


A/N: Finally! Finally, finally, finally, finally FINALLY! I am actually writing this! Boo-yah!!! The last fic was really popular (thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed!) and I know that I said there would eventually be a sequel, which I never managed to produce. To tell you the truth, this is kind of a bribery. "Chi", my other Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction, is going through MAJOR writers-blockage on my part. Therefore, since I'd written this a while ago and never really put it up...here ya go! ^_______^. I hope that everyone will enjoy this as much as they enjoyed the Ranma/Akane story that came before it. RYOGA/UKYO FOREVER!!! 

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am merely an unorganized fanfiction writer who is lower than dirt in comparison. ^^; 

**I Hear Wedding Bells: Two As One **

Chapter 1 

Torn To Pieces 

The shop was empty. The only sound that could be heard was the soft swishing of the coarse broom upon the floor. Dust lingered in the air, magnified by the light that was streaming through the open door. Humid air filled the room, clinging to the fabric of the stools. 

She quickly brushed the sweat off her forehead and began to move the broom across the floor again. She could feel her chestnut bangs threatening to push through the white headband and fall onto her face. Sighing, she reached one hand back to pull the ribbon tying her long hair into a ponytail tighter. 

It was quiet and dreary with no one around. She shouldn't be doing this. She would rather be up in her room, sprawled across the futon just sleeping. But then she would have to wash the futons again. Something she had done every night since, well, 2 weeks ago. Because every time she woke up, they sheets were drenched with tears. 

Besides, it was more productive to clean up the shop. There was a lot more dirt in one corner, and with a sigh she moved to it and began to sweep at it slowly. Kids, she muttered to herself. School kids were in here, after trapsing around in the mud. Couldn't they learn a bit more respect? 

School. She hadn't gone to school lately, she realized. In fact, it had most likely ended. Summer had started by now, for sure. She could hear sprinklers spraying while inside the little restaurant, and children laughing. She'd never seen them, however. 

She smiled sadly to herself. She hadn't gone outside in two weeks. She had been about to, she remembered, one day while it was raining. She'd always used to go out in the rain, simply giddy with the fact that she was sure she would find a soaked red-head girl and would be able to offer her…well, him, a kettle of nice, warm water. 

But she knew that wasn't going to happen. So she didn't go outside. 

She placed the broom down, wiping her hands off on her white apron. Accidentally, her eyes made contact with the mirror in the corner of the kitchen. The mirror which happened to have a picture of a pig-tailed boy smack-dab center. 

She had refused to look at it before, but as she held her breath she walked over to it, staring into it deeper then she ever had before. The pig-tailed boy was standing in the center with a purple haired Amazon clinging onto his back. She saw herself on his right side, making a peace sign. And on his left was a girl with short blue-black hair, wearing a white dress and a big white hat. She was turning her neck ever so slightly and looking at him, and if you looked closely enough, you could see that his face was tinted red. 

She had always thought that it was just because there were three women around him. She'd been wrong. 

Without thinking she reached forwards and began to rip. In one rip the Amazon's head had been cut off, a vision of purple floating the ground. In another rip the panty-theif Happosai had been slashed out of the corner. 

Rip! 

More people began flying out of the picture, soaring to the ground like leaves on the wind. Finally she found herself left with only a picture of Akane, Ranma and herself. Closing her eyes she ripped once more. 

She watched herself twist and turn, floating to the ground. Then she stared at the remaining picture and sighed. There was no use ripping this. 

She got back off her knees and hung the picture back on the mirror, the edges crinkled from all the ripping. She smiled at it weakly. 

"Hope you're having a great honeymoon, Ranchan." She felt more tears welling up in her eyes, but brushed them away. 

"What am I thinking?" She whispered to herself. "It's been two weeks. I've got to get over this. Ranchan and Akane are having a great time in China, I'm sure. I've got to move on with my life." She felt more tears begin to stream out. 

"Chikuso…Why am I crying again? The Kuno's are over it already. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne are making plans to close the Nekohaten and move back to China soon. But what have I got? Just this old Okonomiyaki shop." She sighed. 

Nothing about this neighborhood was welcoming anymore. She didn't feel the same surge of happiness everytime she walked out the door, thinking she would meet the man she loved on the street. Because the truth was, now, there was no man she could lean on and call her own. Now, she had no fiance. 

She was entirely alone. 

As if on cue, she felt something swerve down from the ceiling. She quickly reached out her arm to grab it, then feeling it as just a piece of paper opened her hand. 

Inside was a picture, part of the picture that she had ripped up earlier. A boy was in it, a yellow bandana tied around his head and fangs in his mouth. He had a shocked and sad expression on his face. 

"R…Ryoga…" She smiled a bit, shaking her head slightly. 

"It didn't work very well, did it Ryoga?" She asked quietly to the air about her. "Our plans to separate them. They never worked. Yet everytime you got lost, you kept showing up here first, and I was always ready to try something new." She smiled again at the thought. 

"This is probably just as hard on you…" 

~~~~ 

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW???" The scream echoed through the wilderness, causing the trees to shake and the birds to fly out of them, soaring up towards the sun. There was a loud thump as the boy fell to his knees, holding his head between his hands. 

"Chikuso…chikuso…" He whispered under his breath. He hadn't known his location for days. All he had seen were trees and frogs for days. 

"I don't care where I am, I just want to be somewhere!" He exclaimed. He felt around for the water keg he kept on his thick, brown backpack. He jostled it a bit, feeling more dread wash over him. There wasn't much left. 

By estimation, he had only a few more days to live if he didn't find his way out of there fast. And with his sense of direction… 

He slumped down against the nearest tree, his eyes closed. He felt the moss dig into his skin and uttered a sigh. It was still wet. 

"What do I care whether I die?" He whispered aloud. "Why walk around until I collapse? Why not just die here where it's comforatable and refreshing? It's not as though I have anything more to live for…" He felt his hand curl into a fist at his side. 

He had last been in that town two weeks ago. He had walked in late, just standing in the back of the old white church. He had watched the two of them walk down the isle, both blushing and smiling and, he noticed, crying at the same time. 

She had looked beautiful. With the gown rolling about her feet and the sakura blossoms in her hair. She was a vision. He had felt his heart lurch when seeing her. 

But he knew it wasn't just because of her beauty. He knew he should have expected it. But he never ever thought that it would actually happen. 

He had looked quite handsome actually, though he would never admit it aloud. He had been wearing a tuxedo and had his hair brushed and was looking, well, good. But Ryoga realized that what startled him was that it wasn't he, Ryoga Hibiki who was at her side, but this handsome boy. Also his arch-rival. Ranma Saotome. 

There hadn't been a reception. There really wasn't a need to be, since it would be ruined anyways by many suitors who weren't allowed in. The two newlyweds were set to head off to China the next day. 

He hadn't even said goodbye. 

He sighed. Perhaps he should have, now that it was certain that he wouldn't see her again, ever. Now that it was certain that he was going to die here, wallowing away in his own despair. 

Perhaps he should have congratulated Ranma as well. After all, in the end, he won the fight. And he has one hell of a girl. 

But then he would have had to make himself known. He hadn't before, he had hid behind the door when they walked by. He didn't want to be seen by them now. In their eyes, all they could really see were each other. 

One person did notice him, as he recalled. A girl had stood up and seen him in the corner. Her hair had been tied up in a white ribbon, falling across her shoulders and her face had tears in it, which she wiped away. She was smiling, yet it was such a sad smile. 

Only Kuonji Ukyou would know that he had been there at all. 

"Chikuso…" Suddenly he felt a pang in his heart. His eyes began to blur, and the forest began to swirl about, melding into a void. He felt a shadow begin to creep up his body, covering his feet, knees, torso and then engulfing his head, red lightning shooting through hit. 

"A-AKANE-SAN!!!" 

~~~~ 

"Nani?" She lept up, her breathing heavy. The only sound in the room was that of the clock in the corner ticking and the breeze blowing the curtains into each other. She looked around, realizing that she was in the futon. She sighed softly, and pushed the covers away, stepping up and stretching her arms. 

Something was wrong, she sensed. She had been sleeping peacefully, not dreaming about anything in particular, and then something had shook her awake. She wrinkled her brow, thinking hard. 

Had she remembered to put up the "Closed for Today" sign on the door? Yes, she had, she realized. Perhaps it was something else…she pushed that thought out of her mind and walked over to the window, which was only a little bit open. 

With a thrust she pushed the windows completely open, letting sunlight sparkle into the room. She closed her eyes, feeling her hair fly into her face. It felt good, she said with a sigh. 

"I've run out of soi sauce," she whispered to herself. "Perhaps I should go out and get some more." 

There was a silence as she pondered the idea. Walk out of the house? She hadn't dared tread outside it before. Why should she now? But the idea was firm in her mind and she began to pull on a T-shirt and a pair of pants, taking care to latch her giant spatula onto her back. 

"I'm finally going outside…" she said to herself, smiling almost at the idea. She walked over to the mirror and without thinking grabbed her ribbon and began to tie the usual ponytail at the back of her head. She stopped, thinking. 

"This is best," she said after a pause. "To Ranma as a child, I was always a boy. With Ranma, I could never be an Okonomiyaki chef and a woman at the same time. It may never work any other way." She finished tying the ribbon into her hair and began to walk down the stairs, through the restaurant. 

She glanced back at the kitchen and then sighing contently, she walked out the sliding door and slid it closed behind her. 

The light was brilliant, searing down it's rays upon her body. She raised a hand to block the light and breathed in deeply, feeling the smell from the bushes around her enter her nostrils. 

"Where to now?" She asked the air next to her, as if it was a real person. "The grocery store? And a walk in the park while we're passing it? Yes, lets." She began to walk down the street, smiling to herself. She was almost doing it. 

She was almost forgetting about him. 

The breeze caressed her hair, tickling her bare neck. She felt the handle of the white cooking utensil thud against her back with every step, and smiled at the familiarity. What the heck, might as well get some more mayonnaise while she was at it. 

RAAOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRR!!!! 

The noise pierced her ears, causing her hand to whip back and latch onto the handle of her weapon. She calmed herself quickly, watching the speeding white van with the large ruby cross printed on it zoom past. It skidded around the corner, zooming into the small parking-lot designated for people using the public park. 

"What's an ambulance doing here?" She wondered aloud, and followed the large crowd of people down the busy street. Having the spatula seemed to be a great advantage, since almost everyone moved instantly out of her way, and if they didn't, they were hit with the large, white board. 

"What's going on here?" She asked the closest police cop. He looked very relaxed, not scared at all. In fact, he looked more aggravated that so many people had apparently been asking him the same question. 

"A boy was found here unconscious," he answered simply. Her heart quickened, but she forced it down. In this town, there were only a few boys who would be found littering the roads unconscious. She shook her head. It wasn't Ranma. 

She pushed her way forward even more, and then spotted him. He was lying back against a thick tree, his head slumped to one side and his fists relaxed. He had a look of almost anguish on his face, and didn't look himself at all. 

But the bandana gave it away. 

"Ryoga!" The nearest police officer turned and stared at her, his face confused and conceiled behind his large sunglasses. 

"Yes, why, he's my…" She suddenly came to a blank. 'Good friend' wasn't going to give him over from the cops. And they looked nothing alike. So brother wasn't going to work either. 

_Think Ukyo, Think! What would Akane have said? She must be in this situation all the time! Family friend, cousin…_

"Fiancée." She covered her mouth with the shock that she had said that aloud. She felt herself turn red from the thought of it as the man peered down at her. 

"What exactly is your name, miss?" 

"Kuonji Ukyou." It was a lie, she knew, but it just might work… 

"Alright," he said after a pause. "Hey Konan! Get him over here, his little lovebird's come to pick him up!" She felt her cheeks flush again, just from the thought. Until the idiot's next comment. 

"That guy?" She straightened, her hands on her hips. 

"I am not a GUY!" She exclaimed, glaring at the man who had slung Ryoga's limp arm over his shoulder. He looked her up and down, and then began to stare intently at her chest. She quickly moved her hand across her body, glaring at him. 

"Hentai!" She exclaimed, gripping her spatula with her free hand. He shrugged, then stood fully up, carrying Ryoga over his shoulder. He walked a few steps, and then disposited him down on a mat. 

"Not like I really care," he said casually. "Just tell me your address and we'll drive the both of you back." She glared once more at him, but as he made no motion to apologize, she glanced at Ryoga and then quickly blurted it out. 

"Do you know where Ucchan's Okonomiyaki Restaurant is?" 

"Yes…" 

"Well, could you take us there please?" He looked shocked. 

"Lady, this is no time for a luncheon. This guy has fainted." She had the urge to slap him, but resisted. 

"That is where I live. I am Ukyou of Ucchan's, and if you don't mind I would like to take Ryoga home now." The man stared at her for a long moment and then sighed deeply. 

"I guess this wouldn't be the greatest time to tell you that your Squid Okonomiyaki are the best I've ever had," he said with a sigh. "Alright! Over to Ucchan's, right now!" She sighed, her head spinning as she leapt behind him into the ambulance. This was all too sudden. 

"Oh, and could you call a man named Dr. Tofu for me?" 

"Of course." She knew it. She knew the second the words flew out of her mouth without thinking. This seemed different, different then Ryoga just slamming into a tree somewhere randomly. 

Something was wrong. 

~~~~ 

The world was hazy and gray, almost fuzzy. He could feel his eyes blink, trying to focus. The ceiling began to come into focus, tiles of white plastered up above his head. 

_Where…am I?_, he thought to himself, flickering his eyes over the ceiling. He was warm, he could feel it. Safe, warm and comfortable with comfy covers pulled over his body. 

"So…is this heaven?" He wondered aloud, hearing his voice penetrate the silence of the room. There was a small giggle. 

"Jackass." He recognized the voice and turned his head to the right. A girl was sitting down next to him on the futon, a large overcoat pulled over her body and her hair swishing about past her shoulders. There were large bags under her brown eyes, and her face was pulled into a weak smile. 

"U…Ukyo? So…you're dead too?" She groaned, shaking her head. She reached out a hand and smacked him on the cheek, just hard enough for it to sting. 

"You really are a jackass, aren't you?" She said aloud, her voice sounding whithered. Then without another word she stood up and turned, walking away from the futon and into the next room. 

"Wait, Ukyo!" His head was spinning. "Where…where am I?" She stopped in the doorway, and he noticed the coffee mug in her hand. 

"You're at Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, Sugar," she said with a sigh. "You mean to tell me that in all your stupidity you've forgotten the best Okonomiyaki restaurant in town?" He sat up a bit, his head pounding and feeling the cold washcloth that had been on his forehead slip off. 

"You mean…I'm in Nerima?" She stood in the doorway, her sillhouette clear in the light that was streaming through the kitchen window. 

"No, you're in China," she whispered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. He sighed, cupping his hand and resting his head upon it. 

"Chikuso…I didn't want to come back here…" She didn't look at him, but her shoulders slumped slightly. 

"Sugar, you're the biggest jackass in the world," she said sadly. "Stop wallowing so far into your own depression, or you'll drag me in with you." He stared at her for a few moments, eyeing how her hair looked as though it hadn't been brushed in a while, her posture was poor and her clothing ratted. 

"You look like hell," he whispered. She laughed coldly, taking another sip out of the mug she was holding. 

"So do you, to tell you the truth," she shot back. "Now at least try to go back to bed while I call Tofu-sensei again." He chuckled. 

"Why, you really believe I'm that much of a depressive? Think I'm going to hang myself with your bedsheets?" He could see it, reflected in the oven on the other side of the room. She smiled slightly. 

"Nah, or I would have gone to a doctor already myself," she whispered. "What happened to you wasn't normal, and wasn't right. I'm just being carefull and checking it out with someone who'd know." His grin disappeared. 

He knew he hadn't just fainted, or died, or anything like that. He had seen some weird…black light…and it hadn't been normal. Perhaps she was right… 

"Since when did you care so much about me?" She laughed almost, a bitter sort of laugh. 

"I never did. You were always the stupid, lost boy, just part of my plots to do something that would just get us both hurt. You were just the jackass." He grinned at that. 

"So if I'm the jackass, what does that make the person who's helping the jackass?" She turned around, her worn face staring at his. 

"A complete and total idiot," she said firmly. Then her stern look melted into a smile. "Now just go back to sleep, and I'll get you some Okonomiyaki, no pork, on the house." 

"You sure I'm not in heaven?" He asked. She picked up a pillow that was sitting on a chair in the corner and threw it at him, then stomped back into the kitchen. 

He threw back his head onto it, sighing. He had wanted to avoid Nerima, avoiding the place where Akane and…Ranma would be. But if they were still away, it didn't matter that much. The least he could do was stay until Tofu-sensei told him what was wrong. 

Because Ukyo looked like she was taking this blow just as hard as he was. 

A/N: So, what'dcha think?! Mostly depressing and sappy, right? IT DOES GET BETTER! REALLY IT DOES!!! ^____^ *Hyper*. Okay, well, please please please review! I have sooooooo much that I'm working on right now, that if this doesn't get any reviews it officially becomes my lowest priority...and, well, good luck in getting me to update it. So, review!!! 


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